One Last Breath
by The Last thing you Never See
Summary: A story of tragedy, redemption, and second chances. Some fluff, nothing major. "One Last Breath" by Creed. I OWN NADDA. Be nice.


_**Please come now, I think I'm falling,**_

 _ **Holding on to all I think is safe...**_

It's the only way out.

Sam stared at the knife in his hands, which he had personally sharpened to a deadly edge that morning. His eyes stung with tears he wished he could still cry, but those had dried up long ago. His wrist, turned up to the ceiling, was oddly still considering what he was about to do.

He thought about his friends and family... Or more accurately, lack thereof.

 _You dumb shit! Can't you do anything with your life?!_

 _Hey, freak! It ain't the middle of winter!_

 _Ooh, look who thinks they're tough shit, walking around with long sleeves in eighty degrees!_

Sam flinched violently as the memories of that morning, and every other for the past ten years came to the forefront of his mind. He looked down blankly at his now bare arms, which were covered in bruises and scars. If only they knew.

 _ **It seems I found the road to nowhere,**_

 _ **And I'm trying to escape...**_

Without even thinking about it, Sam laid the blade to his arm and made a long, horizontal cut from his elbow to his wrist, deep enough to let the blood flow freely from the wound. After watching the crimson liquid for a moment, he sighed and lay his head back onto the seat of the chair he would normally be sitting in. He let his eyes casually glance around the room, from the doorway to the hall outside to the glass paneled window in front of him. He closed his eyes and murmured, "If someone is going to save me... They'd better do it now."

A moment later, the alarms began to blare.

 _ **I yelled back when I heard thunder,**_

 _ **But I'm down to one last breath.**_

 _ **And with it let me say, let me say...**_

Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

He moved through the corridors slowly, keeping to the shadows on his way to the office. It wasn't hard to know something was off- the alarms for a ventilation error had been sounding for a good five minutes, and Sam would normally turn them off in at the most twenty seconds. The fact that nothing had happened, not even an audio check, meant something wasn't right.

It wasn't just tonight. From what he had observed, Sam had been acting out of place for the past two days. But tonight, he was displaying a blatant disregard for his safety. It's as if the young man had a death wish.

The office came into view, and as normal, he peeked around the right side of the door frame.

If Springtrap could have screamed, he would have at that moment.

 _ **Hold me now,**_

 _ **I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking,**_

 _ **Maybe six feet ain't so far down...**_

Sam lay on the other side of the office, flat on his back, the chair having rolled away long ago. His head had lolled to the right, facing away from the door, and his left arm was splayed out to the side, laying in a pool of blood that was being steadily added to by the cut on his arm. His work shirt was heavily soaked in the liquid, a testament to how much he had already lost.

Springtrap rushed to Sam's side as fast as he could, gathering the young man into his arms. As he did, the bloodstained knife fell from Sam's fingers and clatter to the floor, causing the animatronic to freeze in place. His frozen stupor only lasted for a moment, as he began to frantically try to staunch the flow of blood.

Had Springtrap had the ability to feel heat, he would have felt the lack of it emanating from Sam's body.

 _ **I'm looking down now that it's over**_

 _ **Reflecting on all of my mistakes...**_

"Sam, don't you fucking DARE die! What the fuck, Sam?! Why would you do this?! Come on, Sam, open your goddamn eyes!"

Vincent was putting as much pressure as he possibly could through Springtrap's body on the wound trying to stop the flow of blood. To his relief, he could see the blood starting to stop. The relief quickly turned to horror as he realized Sam wasn't breathing, and his body had gone completely dead weight.

"... Sam? No... God, no! NO! Sam, please, don't do this!" He collapsed to his knees, inwardly sobbing. "I said I was sorry! God, I regret it, I regret everything! What more do you want from me?! I can't give anything else! Why him?!" He looked down at Sam's body, lifeless and cold now. "I thought I paid the price... Was this it, though? Was this what you wanted? Him?"

 _ **I thought I found the road to somewhere,**_

 _ **Somewhere in his grace...**_

With a little shock in his eyes and calm in his now free soul, Sam watched with interest as the animatronic he had come to fear and be wary of collapsed to its knees, his body still in its arms. As he began to look closer, a faint humanoid outline began to manifest itself in the body of Springtrap, and he became aware of another faint voice, echoing through the ether, cursing and crying and telling God he was sorry, and he had nothing left to give.

" _His name is Vincent, you know._ "

Sam turned to find five children standing behind him, two girls and three boys. While most of them looked about the age of ten, one boy, dressed in a black

and grey striped shirt, looked about the age of seven. One of the little girls stepped up to Sam and looked towards what Sam could clearly see now was a human soul trapped in Springtrap's body. " _He's been in pain for so long..."_ She murmured quietly.

"Why has he been in pain?"

One of the boys stepped up. " _Mentally, he was traumatized by something to such an extent that he murdered four of us._ "

" _Not to mention,_ " the other boy added, gesturing to Springtrap, " _His body, and thus by extension soul, has been trapped in that suit for over thirty years."_

Sam's eyes widened. "What could have traumatized him so badly that he could murder four children?"

The last ten-year-old stepped up to him, holding the hand of the youngest of them. She started to speak, but the little one stopped her, looking at her as if begging to speak. She nodded, and the child looked to Sam. " _Fredbear didn't mean it... I think he was broken... He wouldn't have hurt me willingly. But..._ " Instead of finishing his sentence, he lifted his hand and lifted the fringe of his hair, revealing a portion of skin that had was scarred with staple marks that retreated into his hairline. " _He didn't want to kill me... Honest!_ "

It took only three seconds for Sam to connect the dots, and once he had, he almost started crying himself. "You're the victim of the bite of '87. And Vincent witnessed it happen. When he did, it... I guess he lost control of part of himself. He killed you four. But..." He looked back up at Vincent, who's features were becoming clearer with every passing second. "How did he end up in the suit? And why is he still in it?"

" _We approached him at one point, but his mental state had returned by that point, and he panicked. He..._ " One of the girls sighed and shook her head sadly. " _He tried to hide in the suit... And the spring locks... Didn't hold._ "

It took Sam a second to process this new information. The moment it sank it, he felt the urge to vomit. "Are you telling me... His body is still in the suit alive?"

" _Barely. The resulting accident should have killed him on all accounts. But... There's something keeping him pinned to the earthly realm. Otherwise, he could have left long ago._ "

Sam turned his eyes back to Springtrap. "What's keeping him here?"

" _We may have forgiven him... but he has yet to forgive himself._ "

One of the little girls looked closely at Sam's sorrowful face before speaking again. " _But you can help him._ "

 _ **I cried out heaven save me,**_

 _ **But I'm down to one last breath,**_

 _ **And with it let me say, let me say...**_

Vincent continued to stare at Sam's body, feeling completely numb. The life had, quite literally, drained out of the young man's body, and there was nothing he could have done to stop it. He wished he could feel something, anything at the moment. For now, he couldn't feel. Maybe he didn't _want_ to feel. Because he knew the moment he started feeling, he would feel sorrow and guilt and overwhelming hurt at the young man's death. "... I'm sorry, Sam... I'm sorry I couldn't save you... I couldn't save you, just like I couldn't save them..."

"...Vincent?"

Vincent's head shot up, causing Springtrap's to as well. He looked around wildly, letting Sam's body slide from his arms. "Sam?"

He heard a rustling behind him, but before he could move, he felt someone's arms encircle his waist from behind. No... not encircle _him_... it felt like whatever was behind him was embracing his very soul, so long trapped inside the suit. He sighed as he felt the hurt he had carried for so long starting to somehow ebb away. He closed his eyes, tears beginning to form in them as the pain finally, _finally_ , began to disappear.

"Gods... you've been carrying around so much anguish for so long..." He vaguely heard the

voice murmur in his ear, the arms tightening comfortingly around him.

Vincent's eyes slid open partially, a tear running down his cheek as a spike of pain stabbed his heart again. "Why not? It was my fault... I couldn't stop myself... and I couldn't save him..." He croaked out hoarsely, his eyes moving to look once more at Sam's lifeless body.

The arms around Vincent's waist loosened and the figure holding him so tenderly moved into view, and his jaw dropped.

Sam stood in front of him, staring at him with gentleness and absolution in his crystal blue eyes. His hair was no longer soaked with blood, but fell straight to his shoulders in soft, midnight black locks. His lips were curled up in a soft, sad smile, and his uniform was no longer stained with blood.

Vincent stared at Sam, his jaw agape, even as his hand seemed to gain a life of it's own and reached out to gently touch the raven-haired man's cheek. Before he could move or speak otherwise, though, Sam's voice cut through the fog his brain seemed to be in.

"Vincent, is that why you're still trapped here?" Sam asked sadly, his heart constricting in sympathy for the man in front of him. He lifted his own hand and pressed it against Vincent's, clutching it while still keeping it pressed against his cheek. He looked deeply into Vincent's lavender eyes, so full of sadness, pain, and guilt. When the purple-haired man averted his gaze, closing his eyes again, Sam didn't need any other answer. "Vincent, look at me."

For a moment, Vincent was tempted to ignore him. But when Sam told him to do it again, he couldn't ignore the genuine pain in Sam's voice, nor the sadness his tone carried. He looked slowly towards the younger, unable to keep his tears from falling. "It's my fault... I'm sorry... I deserve this, this is my punishment-"

"Stop that right now!" The force with which Sam barked the command stopped Vincent's rant dead in its tracks. He finally noticed that tears were cascading down Sam's face, and he looked so hurt. "You deserved that pain and trauma as much as I deserved the circumstances of my birth! Does anyone deserve to hurt? Did I deserve to be beaten and abused every day, tortured by both my family and my classmates? Did I deserve the daily beatings? Did I deserve the fact that my father was going to kill me tonight anyway?"

Vincent felt his heart shatter as he listened to Sam's words. "What?! No! Why would someone do that to you?! You didn't deserve it! You were a victim of circumstance! Gods, is that why...?" Vincent choked, unable to fully comprehend anyone hurting someone as sweet and gentle as Sam.

"Why are you different, then?! You've hurt long enough! You don't deserve this pain!" Sam took several shaky breaths, trying to calm himself. "Do you understand, now? You've paid the price a hundred times over, even though there was nothing owed. You were a victim of circumstance maybe even more than I was." Sam wrapped his arms around Vincent, the tears beginning to flow again. "Please... they've forgiven you. We ALL have." He moved away from him slightly, just enough so he could cup his face in his hands and rest his forehead against Vincent's. "For all of us, and mostly for you... It's time you forgave yourself."

 _ **Hold me now,**_

 _ **I'm six feet from the edge, and I'm thinking,**_

 _ **Maybe six feet ain't so far down...**_

Vincent stared past Sam's head for a while, just letting the tears fall from his eyes. It had been years, _decades_ , since both incidents had happened. How could he possibly trust that he was forgiven? He couldn't even trust himself!

The answer proceeded to hit him with blinding clarity. _Trust Sam._

The lavender eyed man thought on that for a moment. Sam had been a constant through this whole job. From everything he knew, Sam didn't lie, didn't over exaggerate the truth. He had been in as much pain as he himself was, some of it even indirectly stemming from his actions however long ago. Yet, he was kind and sweet, and didn't judge him for his pain. How could he, when he knew pain so well?

Sam hadn't moved from his position the whole time Vincent had been thinking, so it was understandable when he startled at feeling Vincent's arms slide around aound his waist. He looked up to find the lavender haired man staring down at him, with hurt in his eyes, but also a strange look of acceptance. "Vincent?"

Vincent took a deep breath, the body of Springtrap shuddering with it. "I... I..." His eyes closed as he finally whispered what he had needed to hear for so long.

"I forgive me."

 _ **Hold me now,**_

 _ **I'm six feet from the edge, and I'm thinking,**_

 _ **Maybe six feet ain't so far down...**_

Sam's eyes widened, alight with a joy he had never experienced before. "Again."

Vincent's eyes opened, confused. "Huh?"

"Say it again. Louder."

Vincent's eyes welled up with tears again. He swallowed hard, and said in a normal tone of voice, "I forgive me."

Sam's heart soared, feeling the binds holding Vincent's soul falling away each time he said it. He looked closely at Springtrap's body, watching the suit shudder violently. "Again! With feeling!"

"I forgive me!" Vincent finally shouted, tears streaming down his face. "I forgive myself for everything, and I don't know why I didn't do it sooner!"

 _Snap._

 _ **Sad eyes follow me,**_

 _ **But I still believe there's something left for me...**_

A gasp escaped Vincent as he felt something painlessly rip away from his being. He suddenly felt... Lighter. And the pain, the constant, never-ending pain was gone. It was almost as if-

Vincent froze. For a moment, he didn't move. Finally, he let go of Sam and slowly turned around. The moment he did, his hands flew to his mouth and a shocked cry escaped him involuntarily. He cautiously approached the prone, unmoving form of Springtrap, unbelieving at first. He reached out, expecting everything to be a dream. He had to be dreaming, there was no way-

His hand passed through the material and wires and crossbeams as if they weren't there.

The purple haired man reeled back in shock. Before he could speak, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist, and he could feel soft hair brush against his neck as a face nuzzled his neck.

Sam hugged Vincent from behind, happy tears falling from his eyes and a soft, brilliant smile lit his features. "I'm so proud of you..."

Vincent pulled himself away from Sam so he could turn and launch himself at his blue-eyed savior. They tumbled to the floor, with Vincent openly sobbing out 'thank you's with his head was buried in Sam's chest. Sam ran his fingers through Vincent's hair, whispering to him again and again how strong he was, and how amazingly he had done.

 _ **So please come stay with me,**_

 _ **'Cause I still believe there's something left for you and me,**_

 _ **For you and me,**_

 _ **For you and me...**_

They lay like that for a long time, until Vincent's grateful tears had stopped. For a minute, Vincent relished in the feeling of being in Sam's arms. "Sam?" He whispered his name softly, almost afraid The raven haired man hadn't heard him.

Sam had heard him, though, and turned his attention fully to Vincent. "Yes Vincent?" He replied softly, gazing down at the man almost in his lap.

"What happens now?"

Sam was unsure how to respond to the question. Before he could, though, another voice spoke.

" _Now? You go back._ "

 _ **Hold me now,**_

 _ **I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking...**_

Vincent and Sam both turned towards the voice. The five children that had approached Sam earlier stood before them, all holding hands. Sam stood with Vincent and opened his mouth

to ask what they meant, but Vincent beat him to it.

"I- you're going to send us back? Why? But we're both finally happy!"

One of the little girls calmed him. " _You misunderstand. We're sending you back to Earth, but we would be fools, not to mention unkind, to send you back to the lives you had_."

One of the boys nodded, picking up the conversation. " _Instead, we're sending you back to this point in time. No one will remember your past selves. They will be erased from existence. While you will still have memories of this lives you have left, new memories will also be yours. You will understand everything when you arrive._ "

" _That is,_ " the other young girl added, " _if that's what you want. You're also allowed to... move on._ "

Vincent and Sam stared at the group of children for a while, then looked at each other. As if reading each other's minds, they made a decision.

"... I'll go back."

Sam held his hand up, though, before the children could speak. "I'll go back on one condition."

 _ **Hold me now,**_

 _ **I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking,**_

 _ **Maybe six feet ain't so far down...**_

Vincent turned to Sam, confused, until he saw Sam had turned towards him and was looking at him with a look that was unfamiliar to Vincent. Then, he felt Sam take his hands and raise them to his lips and kiss them both gently, and _oh_ , _THAT'S_ the catch. His breath caught in his throat, the idea of even the smallest possibility of this happening beyond his wildest dreams.

"Let me take care of you." Sam began, looking deeply into amethyst eyes. "You've sacrificed so much. Let me be your pillar, rock, and strength. It's time someone let you tend to your wants and needs." Sam entwined their hands, a smile lighting his features. "Be mine?"

For a moment, all Vincent could do was choke on nothing. Finally, he burst into tears and nodded. "Yes. Always."

Sam smiled and nodded, pulling Vincent against his chest, letting the lavender-haired man weep joyfully into his shoulder as he turned his attention back to the children, who all were smiling at them. "Then I will go back as well."

The youngest with the gray striped shirt approached them. He reached towards them, and his hands began to glow a brilliant, shining white. He looked at them one last time, smiling happily, before touching them both gently.

A blinding white filled both men's vision, and they heard the little one call out as they returned.

" _May you have the life I never had!_ "

 _ **Hold me now,**_

 _ **I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking,**_

 _ **Maybe six feet ain't so far down...**_

It felt like Sam had been sleeping for an eternity as he came back to himself. He yawned and stretched, managing to smack something on his left as he did so. Curious, he turned his gaze towards whatever he had hit.

Vincent was blinking sleepily at him, rubbing a hand over where Sam's hand had made contact with his face. They looked at each other for all of two seconds before reality hit them full force.

Sam sat straight up in bed, taking in his surroundings. The two of them were laying in a bedroom covered with furniture typical to a beach house, and one look outside confirmed that, they were indeed on the beach. He inhaled, taking in the smell of the ocean air, and the mere fact that he was _alive_.

Vincent, on the other hand, was paying closer attention to his body. It felt almost... surreal... to be in a human body again, and not the mangled mess of one inside a suit. He ran his fingers through his hair, silken lavender strands between the digits, and moved slowly down his lean, lanky body, covered from head to toe in sinewy muscle.

Sam had long ago turned his attention back to Vincent, and he watched with joy and awe at the look of amazement and elation that bloomed on his face. When Vincent finally looked back up at Sam, his eyes were again full of tears. Sam started to worry, until he realized how brightly Vincent was smiling, and how every line of his body spoke of joy and gratitude.

"Is... Is this real?" Vincent choked.

With a bright smile, Sam rolled over, placing one hand on the far side of Vincent. He pressed their foreheads together and whispered, "As real as the sun and moon."

Vincent proceeded to surprise both of them by pulling Sam's head closer, locking their lips in a soft, simple kiss, a kiss that spoke of the emotions flying through his head- gratitude, joy, trepidation, hope. He put all of his hopes and joy into that kiss, and prayed Sam felt it.

Sam felt the sheer emotion behind the kiss, and reciprocated in kind, yet didn't push Vincent farther than he felt comfortable. They kissed for several long minutes, and only pulled apart when air became a necessity. Vincent stared up at Sam, his eyes filled with adoration for the man in his arms. "Stay with me for now?" He whispered. "We can deal with the world later."

Sam lay next to Vincent, gathering the man into his arms. "I'll stay with you, now and everyday after. I'd promise you the world if I could." He murmured into Vincent's hair.

Vincent smiled brilliantly, cuddling into Sam's arms. "No need, Sam. You already have given me the world."

 _ **Please come now, I think I'm falling,**_

 _ **Holding on to all I think is safe.**_

Fin.


End file.
